E950 - Acesulfame k

At a glance

Here are the quick facts so you know what you’re looking at.

• Name on labels: acesulfame potassium, acesulfame K, or Ace‑K.
• What it does: provides sweetness using tiny amounts, so it helps cut added sugar and calories.¹
• E‑number: E950 (the standard code used in the European Union).
• Typical uses: soft drinks, flavored waters, desserts, chewing gum, baked goods, tabletop sweeteners, and more, as allowed by U.S. regulations.²
• Safety guide: acceptable daily intake (ADI) is 15 mg per kilogram of body weight per day in the U.S., and 9 mg/kg/day in the EU. ADI means the amount that can be consumed every day over a lifetime without appreciable health risk.¹³

Why is Acesulfame k added to food?

Manufacturers use acesulfame K to deliver a clean, sweet taste while keeping sugars and calories low. It is intensely sweet, so only tiny amounts are needed. It is also not metabolized for energy and is excreted unchanged, which is why it contributes essentially no calories.³

What foods contain Acesulfame k?

You’ll most often find it in low‑ and no‑sugar products. In the U.S., it is permitted in many categories such as nonalcoholic beverages, baked goods, desserts and mixes, chewing gum, confections, and tabletop sweeteners, with specific maximum use levels set by regulation.²

What can replace Acesulfame k?

Depending on the recipe and label goals, food makers may switch to or blend other sweeteners:

• High‑intensity options: aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, steviol glycosides, neotame, advantame, thaumatin, neohesperidine dihydrochalcone.
• Bulk sweeteners (polyols): erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, isomalt. Formulators choose based on taste, cost, stability, and whether bulk or browning is needed.

How is Acesulfame k made?

Acesulfame K is produced by chemical synthesis and then crystallized as the potassium salt. The food‑grade product must meet strict identity and purity specifications set in law, including limits on impurities and tests for identification.⁴

Is Acesulfame k safe to eat?

Yes—within regulatory limits. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorizes acesulfame potassium as a general‑purpose sweetener with defined conditions of use in 21 CFR 172.800.² In the European Union, scientific review by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) set an ADI of 9 mg/kg body weight/day, which continues to guide safe use.³

Does Acesulfame k have any benefits?

• Helps reduce added sugars and calories while keeping sweetness.
• Because it is not metabolized, it contributes essentially no calories to the diet.³
• Useful in products where only small amounts can deliver the desired sweetness.

Who should avoid Acesulfame k?

Most people can consume products with acesulfame K within the ADI. If your healthcare provider has advised you to limit high‑intensity sweeteners for personal health reasons, or you notice sensitivity to products containing them, check labels and choose accordingly. Parents should remember that sweetened foods—of any kind—should not crowd out a balanced diet for children.

Myths & facts

• Myth: “Ace‑K is the same as aspartame.” Fact: They are different sweeteners with different chemistry and approvals, though both are used to sweeten foods.
• Myth: “Ace‑K hasn’t been reviewed for safety.” Fact: It has been evaluated by major regulators; FDA authorizes its use, and EFSA set an ADI based on extensive data.²³
• Myth: “Ace‑K adds lots of calories.” Fact: It is used in tiny amounts and is not metabolized for energy.³

Acesulfame k in branded foods

On ingredients lists you’ll typically see it written as “acesulfame potassium,” “acesulfame K,” or “Ace‑K.” It often appears in diet or “zero sugar” soft drinks, flavored waters, sugar‑free chewing gum, sugar‑free desserts and gelatin mixes, yogurt‑type products, protein shakes, and tabletop sweeteners. Check the ingredient list, where it usually appears near the end because only small amounts are needed.

References

Footnotes

1. Additional Information about High-Intensity Sweeteners Permitted for Use in Food in the United States — FDA. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/additional-information-about-high-intensity-sweeteners-permitted-use-food-united-states ↩ ↩²

2. 21 CFR 172.800 Acesulfame potassium — Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-172/subpart-B/section-172.800 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

3. Scientific Opinion on the re‑evaluation of acesulfame K (E 950) as a food additive — EFSA Journal. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1944 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

4. Commission Regulation (EU) No 231/2012 laying down specifications for food additives listed in Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 — EUR-Lex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0231 ↩